Device for piling sheet material



Nov. 10, 1964 J. PIKYTL ETAL. 3,156,464

DEVICE FOR PILING SHEET MATERIAL Filed March 5, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ilm .x

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INVENTORB Nov. l0, 1964 J. PlKYTL ETAL DEVICE FOR FILING SHEET MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1965 INVENTOI Wye/af @asf Nov. 10,

Filed March 5, 1965 Illlll H l I l l l l i J. PlKYTl. ETAL DEVICE FOR FILING SHEET MATERIAL.

5 Sheets-Sheet C5 'lllllIllIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA @Y @www United States Patent O 3,156,464 DEVICE FOR PILING SHEET MATERIAL Jaromr Pihytl, Otrolrovice, and Rudolf Forst, Napajedla, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Stroosvit Krnov, nrodn potiniir, Kinov, Czechoslovalda Fiied Mar. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 263,032

Ciairns priority, application Czechoslovakia, Mar. 7, 1962,

This invention relates to a device for piling flexible sheet material, for instance, hides and leather, upon mobile supports, sledges, tables and the like.

Pieces of flat, flexible material, such as hides in tanneries, have often to pass through a number of manufacturing steps prior to their being finished to a iinal product, whereby they are manually piled in suitable places between the individual operations. The manipulation with the semiproducts involved is di'icult when individual pieces differ in size and are of irregular shape and considerable weight. In the course of piling care should be taken to prevent the formation of wrinkles. In case piles are formed manually, considerable time losses are experienced and much physical work has to be rendered. So far as mechanical piling devices have been used, they had generally the drawback that swivelling extensions of conveyors, used in association with the mechanical piling devices, contributed to incorrect piling of hides.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for piling items of flat, flexible material, which operates automatically and ensures correct piling. Principally, the device of the present invention uses a supply conveyor and a take-off conveyor, arranged in series at a certain distance from each other so as to form a gap between their adjacent ends, with a shifting device alternately bridging and freeing this gap, and controlled electrohydraulically, pneumatically or mechanically by means of suitable control devices which may advantageously be used without effecting contact with the moving material. Such control devices may contain transistor vpick-ups, micro-switches or light sensitive devices and may simultaneously serve to control the return movement of the take-olf conveyor. The device according to the invention further uses pressure rollers and a drive common to both conveyors and containing electromagnetic clutches. The height of the whole arrangement is adiustable.

Further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

The specification is accompanied by drawings which show by way of example an embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. l is a longitudinal section of a device for piling hides, embodying features of the invention, also showing hides heaped upon a mobile support;

FIG. 2 a schematic top View; and

FIG. 3 a partial cross section through supply and pressure rollers of a conveyor and through a shifting device for alternately bridging of a gap between the conveyors.

Referring to FIG. l, the device comprises a frame l, having a support 3 lixed thereto by screws 2 and being provided with bearings 4. A supporting column 5 is slidingly supported by these bearings and is provided at the bottom with a ring 6. This ring engages a nut 7 which is prevented from turning by a stop 8. A bolt 9 threadedly engages the nut 7, and a lower terminal l() of which` carries a sprocket wheel 11. The bolt portion 1l) is guided by a bearing 12 interposed between the sprocket wheel 1l. and a base plate 13. The latter is firmly fixed tothe frame 1 by screws 14. The supporting column 5 is on its upper part provided with a plate 15 which is reinforced by fins 16. The plate 15 is connected by screws 17 to supporting beams 18 which, in turn, are

3,155,464 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 fixed by screws 21 to side walls 39, 2li (see FIG. 2). Also fixed to the side walls 19, 2d are bearings 23 and an upper roller 2-2 to support a supply conveyor (see FIG. 2). A lower roller 24 of this supply conveyor is supported in a sliding fashion in forks 25 mounted on side walls 26. Ends of the walls Z6 are pivotally supported in bearings 27. A'lower guide roller 28 (FG. l) of the supply conveyor is piovtally hinged on bolts of the roller 22 supported by the bearings 23 (FIG. 2). Bearings 255 are provided within the side walls 19, 2li and support a roller. The side walls 19,720 are linked together by a cross beam 3l. (FIGS. l, 2) which supports endless belts 32 trained, as shown in FIGS. l and 3, around the rollers 24, 22, 23 and 39. The belts 32 can be of leather, rubber or plastic materials and of any suitable cross section. The rollers 24 and 3i? are spacedly provided with rings 3.? secured to the. rollers, for instance, by screws 34, as shown in FIG. 3.

A shifting device for selectively bridging a gap P (FIG. l, 2) is arranged above the rollers 22 and Sil. The shifting device Vcomprises rods 35 placed between the rings 33 on the roller Sil and extend toward the roller 22. The rods 3S are connected by a cross beam 36 with the ends of which there are rods 37 connected. The latter are pivotaliy connected with ends of oscillating levers 33 (FiGS. l, 2).' The oscillating levers 38 are connected to a a cross bar 39 supported by bearings 40 for swinging movements (FIG. 2). The bar 3i) is provided in its central portion with a lever 4i (FIGS. l, 2) to which an electrohydraulic or pneumatic device 43 (FIG. 2) is linked. The device 43E` is pivotally supported by a shaft 44 which is carried by a supporting structure 45. This structure is secured to the walls 19, 20 by means of screws 46. The oscillating levers 38 may be actuated mechanically as well. A take-off conveyor comprises supporting rollers 47, 43. The former 47 rests in bearings 49j. Electromagnetic clutches 50, 51 (FG. 2) are arranged at the ends of the shaft of the roller 47. The rolier 43 rests in bearings52. The bearings 49 and 52 are arranged in the side walls 19, 2i). Endless belts 53 run over the rollers 47 and 48, the distance between which forms the gap P. Pressure rollers 54, 55 are provided above the rollers 3d and 47, respectively. The rollers 54 and 55 are linked togther by rods 56, 57 which pivot around a common shaft that is supported by bearings 5%. The latter are mounted on the side walls i9 and 20 of the machine (FIG. l). The side walls 19, 26 are connected by a beam 61 which supports an electric motor having a sprocket wheel 62 or a pulley keyed on its shaft. From the sprocket wheel .62 motion is transmitted by aychain 64 to wheels 63, d5 and further by a chain 6d to wheels 67, 68 on the roller 3) (FIGS. l, 2). The chain wheels 63, 65 are supported by -a bearing 76 fixed to the side wall 19. Motion to the roller 47 is transmitted in one direction from the chain wheel 68 keyed to the shaft of the roller 30 by a chain 69 to a chain wheel 70. The latter is coupled with an electromagnetic clutch 51 which transmits motion to the shaft of the roller 47. The movement of the roller 47 in opposite direction is effected by toothed wheels 75, 74, a chain wheel 72, -a chain 73 and a chain wheel 71. The wheei 71 is coupled with an electromagnetic clutch 52, which is at the same time coupled with the shaft of the roller 47. The chain wheel 72 together with the toothed wheel 74 are supported by a bearing 77 fixed to the side wail 20. The toothed wheel 75 mounted on the roller 30 is supported by the bearing 29 xed to the side wall 26. The side walls 19, 2l) are reinforced by girders 78, 79 (FIGS. l, 2) Where feelers Sli, di provided with microswitches 82, 83, or contactless transistor pick-ups, or light-sensitive cells are arranged. There are supports 87 fixed to the structure 45 which supports guide rollers l.) S3 to pivot about pivots 89. A base 84 which is iiXed to the frame by means of screws 86 supports a stand 55 against which the guide rollers 33 lean from both sides to safeguard the correct position of the whole arrangement when adjusting its height.

A hide U is first conveyed by means not shown to the supply conveyor and taken along by the belts 32 over the rollers 24 and 22 toward the rods 35 of the shifting device. As it reaches the transistor feelers 80, the front part of the hide or of some other sheet material raises some of the feelers titl, thus giving, by means of the microswitches S2, an impulse to the electrohydraulic or pneumatic device or to any other suitable device. This causes the lever 4-1 (FIG. l) and the oscillating levers 3S to pivot about the axis of the bar 39. The levers 3S control by means of the pull rods 37 (FIG. 2) the rods 35 of the shifting device. The rods 35 are provided to move forward and backward alternately and thus either to bridge the P and to transport -a hide over the roller 47 to the takeoff conveyor, or to open the gap. As the hide moves under the pressure roller 54 an impulse is transmitted by the microswitch 82 to cut out the electromagnetic clutch Si? and to cut in simultaneously the electromagnetic clutch 51, which causes a change in the direction of rotation of the rollers d?, 4S, 55 with respect to the roller Sti. ln the course, the hide passes between the rollers 36 and Se and the rods 35 move the hide across the gap l. After passing the rollers 47 and 55, the hide is taken along by the belts 53 of the take-oli conveyor.

After reaching some of the feelers or transistor pickups 3l (FlGS. 1, 2), an impulse is transmitted by the microswitch 83 provided on the girdcr 79, which actuates the operating device 43, whereby by means of the levers 3S, 41 and pull rods 37, the rods 35 of the shifting device are pulled back to their initial position. This return movement opens simultaneously the gap P. A raising of the pick-ups Si by a hide U gives simultaneously an impulse for cutting out a time relay (not shown) adjusted in accordance with the supply speed of the supply and take-oil conveyors. When the hide reaches the position, in which a portion of the hide in front of the gap P is approximately of the same length as the hide portion behind the gap P, the referred to action of the time relay takes place and the rollers 47 and 55 change the direction of their rotation by a simultaneous cutting ont of the electromagnetic clutch 5l (PEG. 2) and cutting in of the electromagnetic clutch 'tl. These clutches 51 and Sil are controlled by toothed gears 74, 75. At that time the rods 35 are moved baci; and return to their initial position shown in FIG. l. Thus, the take-oit conveyor conveys the hide in a direction opposite to that of the supply conveyor, the latter direction being indicated by the arrow S, and the hide falls automatically through the gap l and is piled upon the prepared mobile support K. The Whole cycle is repeated.

The actual height of the machine is adjusted in accordance with different heights of the mobile support l( and according to the number of hides led thereon by the vertical movement of the supporting column 5 in bearings i of the support 3. The movement of the supporting column 5 is derived from the electric motor 9i) over the screw bolt 9, the nut 7, and the chain or toothed Wheels "il arranged on the screw bolt 9.

In order to ensure the proper relative positions of the parts of the machine during adjustment to the proper height by the action of the screw bolt 9, the guide rollers S5 provided on the structure 55 engage the vertical stand 85 on both sides.

The machine according to this invention operates auto matically and represents a substantial improvement in piling pieces of flat, exible materials for instance, hides in tanneries. A great advantage is the adjustability of its height.

Smooth and accurate piling upon mobile supports, sledges and the like is thus achieved without raising any dust and covering the surfaces of the piled items with dust. The machine according to this invention substan4 tially increases productivity and fully eliminates physical work.

We claim:

l. A device for piling hides and pieces of other flexible sheet material, comprising, in combination,

(a) a frame,

(b) a supply conveyor,

(c) a take-oli conveyor,

(d) said supply and take-ofl,conveyor being arranged on said trame in series, with a gap between their ad jacent extremities,

(e) supporting means for the material to be piled below said gap,

(i) a shifting device capable to alternately bridge and open said gap,

(g) said shifting device operating at a level coincident with that of said conveyors,

(/z) means for transmitting to the take-oil conveyor alternately a movement in the direction of the move ment of the supply conveyor and in the opposite di rection, and

(i) control means controlling the movement of said shifting device and of said take-ott conveyor in de `pendence upon the position of the flat, flexible material to be piled.

2. An arrangement according to claim l comprising in addition means for adjusting its height with respect to said supporting means for the material to be piled.

3. A device for piling hides and pieces of other iexible sheet material, comprising, in combination,

(a) a frame,

(b) a supply conveyor,

(c) a take-olf conveyor,

(d) said supply and lake-oli conveyor being arranged on said frame in series, said conveyors having rollers and a gap between their adjacent extremities.

(e) supporting means for the material to be piled below said gap,

(f) a shifting device capable to alternately bridge and open said gap,

(g) said shifting device operating at a level coincident with that of said conveyors,

(h) means for transmitting to the take-oli conveyor alternately a movement in the direction of the move ment of the supply conveyor and in the opposite direction,

(i) control means controlling the movement of said shifting device and of said take-oli conveyor in dependence upon the position of the llat, llexible material to be piled, and

(j) pressure rollers provided above said conveyor rollers adjacent to said gap.

Morgan July lO, 1956 Grilin Mar. l2, 1963 

1. A DEVICE FOR PILING HIDES AND PIECES OF OTHER FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) A FRAME, (B) A SUPPLY CONVEYOR, (C) A TAKE-OFF CONVEYOR, (D) SAID SUPPLY AND TAKE-OFF CONVEYOR BEING ARRANGED ON SAID FRAME IN SERIES, WITH A GAP BETWEEN THEIR ADJACENT EXTREMITIES, (E) SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE MATERIAL TO BE PILED BELOW SAID GAP, (F) A SHIFTING DEVICE CAPABLE TO ALTERNATELY BRIDGE AND OPEN SAID GAP, 